LA roundup: Motion seeking change in Anti-Corruption board

A private members motion approved by the Legislative Assembly last week seeks to change the chairmanship of Cayman’s Anti-Corruption Commission.

The motion, filed by North Side MLA Ezzard Miller, notes that the current members of the commission, including the commissioner of police as chairman, the auditor general and the complaints commissioner “are very busy people in their primary roles”.

Mr. Miller’s proposal would remove the current requirement under the Anti-Corruption Law for the police commissioner to be the chairman of the anti-corruption board.

Rather, the five members, including a retired lawyer and a retired judge/magistrate/justice of the peace would elect a chairman at their first meeting.

Premier McKeeva Bush said government would accept Mr. Miller’s motion, but wanted to make a change that gave the administration some flexibility in dealing with any potential amendments to the law.

District boundaries stay

Caymanian voters will be choosing 18 elected officials to represent them in the Legislative Assembly next time around, but electoral boundary lines for the 2013 Cayman Islands general elections will not change.

Premier McKeeva Bush made the announcement Wednesday while introducing a draft order from Governor Duncan Taylor’s office to members of the Legislative Assembly, who currently number 15.

Mr. Bush said government would accept recommendations from the Electoral Boundary Commission report that will increase the number of elected office-holders in George Town district from four to six, and in Bodden Town district from three to four. All other voting districts will retain the same number of seats in the assembly; meaning West Bay district will send four, the Sister Islands, two; and East End and North Side, one apiece.

Electoral boundary lines will not be redrawn in any significant way to incorporate the new seats, Mr. Bush said.

“We do not accept any recommended changes to the physical electoral boundaries in order to [incorporate the new LA seats],” he told lawmakers. “The reason for refusing to accept that portion of the recommendation is because the electoral district boundaries being proposed by the commission in its report, if accepted, would … result in some persons who previously voted in George Town now being required to vote in Bodden Town.

“The government can find no support for such a change,” he said.

The premier said he expected to bring a motion to finally accept the three new Legislative Assembly seats sometime in January. The seats will be in play during the elections expected in January 2013.

Dancing on New Year’s

Lawmakers approved a change to Cayman’s Music and Dancing (Control) Law allowing the Liquor Licensing Board of Grand Cayman to let music and dancing in local establishments proceed outside normal hours,

The initial bill stated those hours could be changed on any day, however it was amended during the Legislative Assembly meeting held last week to state the change will be allowed “only when New Year’s Eve falls on a Saturday”.

The current local law does not allow music and dancing on Sundays between midnight Sunday and Monday. The issue has caused concern among Grand Cayman bar and nightclub owners who would have to essentially close down just before midnight on New Year’s Eve, which falls on a Saturday this year.

The board’s approval is subject to the condition that the music will not be heard beyond the boundaries of the property on which it is being played.

Caymanian voters will be choosing 18 elected officials to represent them in the Legislative Assembly next time around, but electoral boundary lines for the 2013 Cayman Islands general elections will not change.

1 COMMENT

The Legislators/electd officials must have no power over the anti-corruption committee if so then forget about it and delare a dicatorship. So Ezzard be careful what you ask for and please explain what it is you are really trying to do if we are to support you. This one could come back to bite you if the Premier has any input that could exonerate himself and other elected officials if they are facing charges for irregularities or other wrong doing while in office.

Mr.Ezzard Miller please explain clearly for everyone to understand just why we should give you the nod on this, before we give you our answer or support, this is very serious, and could have serious repercussions if elected politicians have a say in anti-corruption cases and decision making. Such an committee must function as anti-corruption Statutory Authority.